Iain Hay

Iain Hay is Matthew Flinders Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Geography in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University, inaugural Director of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia, and Chair of the Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Geographical Sciences. He is also member-elected Director of HCi (Health Care Insurance).

His earlier academic leadership roles include Academic Dean of the Australian Institute of Business (AIB); inaugural Director of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia (RGSSA); foundation Dean (Education) of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University; and Australian Learning and Teaching Council Discipline Scholar for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. He previously served as Head of the School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management at Flinders University.

Iain completed his PhD at the University of Washington as a Fulbright Scholar and received a LittD from the University of Canterbury for work on geographies of domination and oppression. His books have sold in excess of 100,000 copies and include: Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography (5th edn Oxford 2021); Handbook on Wealth and the Super-Rich (Elgar 2016); and How to be an Academic Superhero. Developing and Sustaining a Career in the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (2nd edn Elgar 2023). He also co-edits the International Geographical Union's series on Contemporary Geographies (Edward Elgar) and maintains editorial roles with influential journals. He is former Editor-in-Chief of Geographical Research (Wiley), foundation Australasian Commissioning Editor for Journal of Geography in Higher Education, and he co-founded the journal Ethics, Place and Environment (Taylor & Francis).

Iain's work is widely cited. For instance, in July 2024 the reputable ScholarGPS ranked his lifetime scholarly contributions to be in the top 0.89% of all scholars, in all fields, globally (n = 28,929,092).

Iain received the 2006 Prime Minister's Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year and has subsequently accepted significant awards for contributions to geography and to higher education from the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), the Institute of Australian Geographers, the American Association of Geographers (AAG), the Australian College of Educators, the International Association for Promoting Geoethics; and the New Zealand Geographical Society. He was admitted as one of the first Principal Fellows of the Higher Education Academy in 2013; as a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences in 2014; and a Fellow of the AAG in 2021.

Over his career Iain has held visiting appointments such as the University of Bristol's Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship; a British Academy Visiting Fellowship; and a Fellowship of the University of Edinburgh's International Social Sciences Institute. He served too as the National University of Singapore's Educator-in-Residence.

Iain has experience leading professional and membership organisations including as First Vice-President of the International Geographical Union (IGU), President of the Institute of Australian Geographers, founding member of the IGU's Commission on Research Methods, and co-founder of the International Network of Learning and Teaching geography in higher education. 

Distinguished Professor Hay has established a career-long record of thoughtful leadership, collegiality, and innovation in geography and higher education more broadly.

• Economic, cultural and social geography
• Geographies of domination and oppression
• Inequality
• Geographies of the super-rich
• Qualitative methods and research ethics
• Geographical education
• Human-environment relations

• Apr 2016 Paul Johnson - Royal Geographical Society of South Australia John Lewis Silver Medal
• Apr 2014 Irene Sahertian - Royal Geographical Society of South Australia John Lewis Silver Medal
• Apr 2012 Gavin Malone - Institute of Australian Geographers' Postgraduate Award
• Apr 2011 Edoardo Rosso - Royal Geographical Society of South Australia John Lewis Silver Medal
• Apr 2009 Noel Richards - Royal Geographical Society of South Australia John Lewis Silver Medal
• Apr 2002 Michiyo Yoshida - Royal Geographical Society of South Australia John Lewis Silver Medal

• GIS, health geography (1)
• human geography, indigenous cultural markers, cultural imperialism (1)
• human geography, indigenous-settler relations, colonization, land management (1)
• human-environment relations, bushfire management (1)
• human-environment relations, Indonesia, solid-waste management (1)

• human geography, public participation, tourism planning, Malaysia (1)
• human geography, citizenship, Japan (1)
• human geography, gambling, homelessness (1)
• human geography, social capital, sport (1)
• human geography, urban planning, critical geography, sustainability, discourse (1)
• human geography, volunteering (1)